Ahead of AARP's planned "secret" salon on the future of Social Security, we offer two retirement experts' dramatically different proposals for solving the Social Security crisis. Chuck Saletta's view: You can't fix this with "tweaks" and small measures.

Last year, the Social Security Administration warned that the program's trust fund was likely run out of money in 2036, leading to deep cuts in benefits. Now, the Congressional Budget Office says that projection may have been too optimistic.

With so many pundits fretting about Social Security's possible collapse in 2036, it's hard to be optimistic about the entitlement program's future. But one insurance expert thinks that giving retirees a bit more flexibility could save the entire system.

In 2036, Social Security's Trust Fund is set to run out of money, after which it's anticipated that the program's benefits will be cut by about a quarter. And if you're likely to be around when that happens, you need a plan to make up the difference.

Most parents know how important it is to choose a guardian to take care of their children in case something terrible happens. But what about your children's financial needs? There needs to be a plan in place for those, too. That's why parents should consider creating a trust. Here's what you need to consider.

It's true that Social Security paid out more than it collected in 2010. But the Trust Fund owns $2.6 trillion in Treasury bonds, and though some people may claim those holdings are an illusion, they aren't. Still, there are some fairly painless steps we could take to shore up the program's balance sheet for the long term.

For years, policymakers have reassured the public that Social Security will be solvent for decades. But federal spending and income data from the Treasury reveals that Social Security is already deep in the red, with outlays exceeding payroll tax revenues by $76 billion in 2010 alone.